You are arguing against a straw man. I proposed replacing our current system of paying people not to work by an alternate system in which the government gives people a guaranteed job that provides the bare minimum essentials to live.
Under my proposal, there are no starving children. At most, their parents have a lower social status because they live in government issued dormitories and wear government issue grey sweatsuits. This gives the parents a social incentive to get a job with no deprivation.
As for my comparison to India, adjusted for purchasing power, the top 5% of India are poorer than the bottom 5% in the US. This accords very well with my anecdotal observations. I have far more sympathy for the Indian professional working 8-10 hours/day + 2-3 hours commute (who still can't afford AC or a car, unlike the poor American) than I do for a poor American sitting on the couch watching Jerry Springer.
What I'm saying is you can't compare dollar to dollar. Below $3000 in America, you're homeless or dependent on another's income in even an average city. If you're a skilled homesteader, you can get by in Wyoming on less, but at that point you need a piece of land to get started.
Yes, someone on welfare is doing pretty well by Indian standards, but that isn't available to people without children. Compare the homeless population, not someone on welfare.
PS -- I like the idea of infrastructure help for welfare, but what do we do with the 3 year old left alone at night so that mom can do janitorial work?
Under my proposal, there are no starving children. At most, their parents have a lower social status because they live in government issued dormitories and wear government issue grey sweatsuits. This gives the parents a social incentive to get a job with no deprivation.
As for my comparison to India, adjusted for purchasing power, the top 5% of India are poorer than the bottom 5% in the US. This accords very well with my anecdotal observations. I have far more sympathy for the Indian professional working 8-10 hours/day + 2-3 hours commute (who still can't afford AC or a car, unlike the poor American) than I do for a poor American sitting on the couch watching Jerry Springer.
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/the-haves-and-t...